Device for inking high-speed printer



Oct. 4, 1966 H. KUCHENBECKER ETAL 3,276,363

DEVICE FOR INKING HIGH-SPEED PRINTER Filed Dec. 8, 1964 Jizue 21,5 0715. dwrzmzwezzsaen f filer/Zara! aVazz 6mm.

United States Patent "cc 2 Claims. (Cl. 101-349 The invention relates to a device for inking the type of a high speed printer-especially one operating according to the principle of flying print-that is one which has a continuously rotating type roller, which does not come to rest even during the printing operation.

In the usual printing technique, in each printing cycle all the set type is impressed, the ink thus being removed therefrom by the paper and are reinked by means of a steady feed of ink. In the high speed printers under consideration, on the other hand, of the many individual types provided, in each case only a relatively few are involved in the printing operation, and, moreover, in most cases, as a result of the set-up of forms and tables from left to right, type elements on the left-hand side are printed more frequently than those on the right. Only those type elements must be reinked, therefore, from which the ink was removed by the printing operation. On the other hand, care must be taken that all the type elements over the length of the type roller, including those which are less frequently printed, have to be inked to the same degree. Any inking device under consideration must, therefore, in addition to a uniform ink distribution on all type elements of a printing area, also make possible a constant ink exchange in axial direction. This problem is solved according to the invention by an inking device which has an ink supply roller dispose-d in communication with the type roller over one or more intermediate rollers, and is characterized by adjustable gearing between the ink supply roller and its drive, through which gearing the ink supply roller, independently of the rate of rotation which it would develop with frictionless rolling of the rollers one upon another, receives such rotational speed as is necessary for an ink delivery in the desired quantity.

The ink supply roller, preferably a felt roller, is impregnated with a liquid printing ink. The soaking takes place only to such a degree that even if the ink supply roller were at a standstill, there could never occur any ink accumulation in the lower part of the roller or possibility of dripping. The color delivery takes place to the desired extent only under the influence of centrifugal force occurring to the rotation of the roller. It is therefore possible, by regulating the rate of rotation of the ink supply roller, to determine the color delivery very precisely and to hold it approximately constant over a relatively long period of time by readjustment of the rate of revolution of the ink supply roller. In most cases, the rate of rotation of the ink supply roller will be lower than that which would result in the case of frictionless rolling of the rollers one upon another. As compared to a breaking of the ink supply roller, over which, moreover, it would not be easy to achieve a stable rate of rotation, the gear utilized according to the invention offers also the advantages that in the more or less closed printing mechanism there cannot arise any excessively severe development of heat in consequence of the converted energy and thereby create a change in the viscosity of the printing ink. Further, the drive power is economized, inasmuch as no energy is deliberately converted into heat.

The uniform ink distribution required, especially over the length of the rollers, is achieved by the capillary forces in the interior of the felt roller. These forces also prevent the formation of an undesirably thick ink film on the 3,276,363- Patented Oct. 4, 1966 adjoining rollers, since excess ink is absorbed. The relative velocity occurring as a rule at the roller surfaces of the ink supply roller and the adjoining roller may have a supplemental effect, but it is not a precondition for the development of a uniform ink film. Moreover, it is also conceivable to have the rate of rotation of the ink supply roller greater than that which would result in the friction less rolling of the rollers one upon another at the ink supply roller, so that the power flow through the gearing is reversed with reference to the previously considered case.

In the following the device according to the invention is explained in detail with an example thereof represented schematically in the drawing.

The type roller 1 is connected over the shaft 2, with drive means (not shown), by which it is maintained in steady, uniform rotation. On the type roller 1, there rolls a first intermediate roller 3, for example, a rubber roller, and cooperable in rolling contact, with the intermediate roller 3, in the example represented, is a second intermediate roller 4, which, for example, is a steel roller. The roller 4, in turn, is in frictional contact with the ink supply roller 5, for example, a felt roller. The pairing of steel and felt is advantageous in achieving the lowest possible friction and wear. Also, a relative velocity on the roller surfaces between the type roller 1, the first intermediate roller 3 and the second intermediate roller 4 is undesirable. For this reason, under some circumstances there can exist between these rollers, in addition to the power connection, a positive connection, for example over gearing. The ink supply roller 5 is supported on the two arms 6 and 7 to pendulate on the shaft 8, particularly in such a way that its pivotal arc strikes the intermediate roller 4 approximately perpendicularly. Contact pressure of the roller 5 against the intermediate roller 4 is provided by the springs 9 and 10, which in each case are supported, on the one hand, on one of the two side plates 11 and 12 in which the rollers 1, 3, 4 and 5 as well as the shaft 8 are supported, and, on the other hand transmits, over the arms 6 and 7, a contact pressure force, to the ink supply roller 5.

Connected to the ink supply roller 5 over a belt drive 13, :is a regulating transmission device or gearing 15 which, in the example represented, is operatively driven by the drive shaft 2 of the type roller 1 by a second belt drive 16.

The belt drive 13, provided with equally large belt wheels, permits the transmission of a torque, without influencing the pressure of the ink supply roller 5 against the second intermediate roller 4. The shaft 8 forms a coaxial extension of the drive shaft 14, of the gearing 15 and carries the second belt wheel of the belt drive 13.

The regulating transmission device 15 is provided with adjusting means in the form of a rotatable knob 17, which makes it possible to change the transmission ratio of the regulating device 15, for example, from the exterior. Such an adjustment may, however, also take place automatically, especially in dependence on operating time. As the regulating transmission device 15, there is available, in particular, an infinitely variable drive transmission.

If need be, a diamond shaped surface profiling of the ink supply roller 5 can lead to further improvement with respect to the ink distribution.

Changes may be made within the scope and spirit of the appended claims which define what :is believed to be new and desired to have protected by Letters Patent.

We claim:

1. A device for inking the type of a high-speed printer with a type roller, especially a uniformly rotatable roller which is operatively connected over a plurality of intermediate rollers, with an ink-supply roller over infinitely adjustable transmission device, whereby such ink roller, regardless of the rate of rotation which would take place in a slip-free rolling engagement, receives a speed to provide a desired ink delivery, comprising an interchangeable ink supply roller arranged for ink saturation thereof, and composed of an absorbent material having na-pid ink absorption and capillary properties whereby ink saturation thereof will take place rapidly and uniformly, both circumferentially and in axial direction, said supply roller being connected over such infinitely adjustable transmission device to the power source of the printer, a first intermediate roller bearing against the ink supply roller and having a hard, smooth surface, for example a steel roller, and a second intermediate roller bearing on the first intermediate roller and on the type roller, said second intermediate roller having a resilient face, for example of rubber.

2. A device according to claim 1, comprising a belt drive between the ink supply roller and the transmission device provided with equally large belt pulleys, which is so arranged that the belt tension takes place in a direction perpendicularly to the contact pressure of the supply roller References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 449,405 3/1891 Dolphin 10l350 1,677,679 7/1928 Molins 10l-350 1,883,572 10/1932 C-lark 101350 2,242,214 5/1941 Huck 101-350 2,530,282 11/1950 Brodie et a1. 101350 3,045,592 7/1962 Shearer et a1 l01364 X FOREIGN PATENTS 460,092 1/ 1937 Great Britain.

ROBERT E. PULFREY, Primary Examiner.

20 J. R. FISHER, Assistanl Examiner. 

1. A DEVICE FOR INKING THE TYPE OF A HIGH-SPEED PRINTER WITH A TYPE ROLLER, ESPECIALLY A UNIFORMLY ROTATABLE ROLLER WHICH IS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED OVER A PLURALITY OF INTERMEDIATE ROLLERS, WITH AN INK-SUPPLY ROLLER OVER INFINITELY ADJUSTABLE TRANSMISSION DEVICE WHEREBY SUCH INK ROLLER, REGARDLESS OF THE RATE OF ROTATION WHICH WOULD TAKE PLATE IN A SLIP-FREE ROLLING ENGAGEMENT, RECEIVES A SPEED TO PROVIDE A DESIRED INK DELIVERY, COMPRISING AN INTERCHANGEABLE INK SUPPLY ROLLER ARRANGED FOR INK SATURATION THEREOF, AND COMPOSED OF AN ABSORBENT MATERIAL HAVING RAPID INK ABSORPTION AND CAPILLARY PROPERTIES WHEREY INK SATURATION THEREOF WILL TAKE PLACE RAPIDLY AND UNIFORMLY, BOTH CIRCUMFERENTIALLY AND IN AXIAL DIRECTION, SAID SUPPLY ROLLER BEING CONNECTED OVER SUCH INFINETELY ADJUSTABLE TRANSMISSION DEVICE TO THE POWER SOURCE OF THE PRINTER, A FIRST INTERMEDIATE ROLLER BEARING AGAINST THE INK SUPPLY ROLLER AND HAVING A HARD, SMOOTH SURFACE, FOR EXAMPLE A STEEL ROLLER, AND A SECOND INTERMEDIATE ROLLER BEARING ON THE FIRST INTERMEDIATE ROLLER AND ON THE TYPE ROLLER, SAID SECOND INTERMEDIATE ROLLER HAVING A RESILIENT FACE, FOR EXAMPLE OF RUBBER. 